Queensland's public inquiry into the CFMEU and the construction sector has heard alleged failures by police and major contractors to prevent a May 2023 worksite brawl at a Brisbane rail project from escalating into violence.
Commissioner Stuart Wood KC has described the incident at the Dutton Park Cross River Rail station site as a "riot." The brawl emerged as a group of workers attempted to enter the site, which was being obstructed by CFMEU members. About two dozen CFMEU-associated men were involved, some of whom had been subject to a public callout by the inquiry.
Wood has questioned both the police response and the actions of the firms employing the men. "One of the things that's come up over the past couple of days has been the failure of the police to ensure there was lawful access to this site," he said.
But he also pointed to what he called an "upstream problem," asking: "It's all very well to criticise the police for their failure, but what are these tier-one contractors doing, allowing this army of delegates to run around causing havoc?"
Wood said one major contractor, Hutchinson, had five employers involved, and that if the employers had ensured delegates stayed at the sites where they were nominally employed, the group would not have been at the Cross River Rail site for police to be called.
Counsel assisting the inquiry, Eddy Gisonda KC, reminded Wood the brawl happened at the same time as a separate union campaign relating to the Centenary Bridge upgrade in Brisbane's west. The inquiry recently heard that ousted union leadership figure Jade Ingham had sent a message to all delegates requiring them to attend that site.
Gisonda said the outcome of that campaign included at least 30 delegates at the site, with evidence of threats to have 200 to 300 people attend at a moment's notice.